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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28329609">taste it turning sour</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeyresUnbecoming/pseuds/FeyresUnbecoming'>FeyresUnbecoming</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Vampire Diaries &amp; Related Fandoms, The Vampire Diaries (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Human, Angst, Breakups, Exes with Benefits, F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-26</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 18:03:01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,331</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28329609</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/FeyresUnbecoming/pseuds/FeyresUnbecoming</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>He fought the urge to chase after her, to beg for her to stay, or even for her to text him that she got home safely.  Fighting the urge to ask her to take him back was an even harder one. Klaus rarely showed anyone forgiveness, why would she extend him the courtesy he had denied so many others?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Caroline Forbes/Klaus Mikaelson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>47</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>taste it turning sour</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>title from "Change" by Lana Del Rey<br/>not necessarily a sad ending? I think?</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>The first time Caroline had stormed his apartment had been a total surprise. Now it happened on a regular basis. Tonight she stormed in just as she had done the very first night, with few words, wandering hands, and several demands.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Caroline didn’t bother with gentle knocks, instead opting for a curled fist and an incessant pounding. Watching the door whip open to reveal a murderous, paint-splattered Klaus, she didn’t bother with politeness or explanations. Cutting off his question before it fell she launched herself at him and yanked his shirt, barking an order, “Take off your shirt.” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Eyebrows bunching as he noticed her tear-dried eyes, “Caroline, love—”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She wrapped her arms around his neck, rose on her toes to put her mouth to his, greedy and demanding, effectively cutting him off. “Take off your shirt. Now,” her words were bitten off. When Klaus started to pull back she ran her tongue along the seam of his lips, making him pull her closer and stopping any questions that rang in his head.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus shook himself out of the memory and pressed his cheek to the top of the rumpled blonde’s hair and pulled her imperceptibly closer to him. A slight grumble slipped past her lips making him chuckle and smile in a way reserved just for her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unfortunately the vibrations from his silent laughter stirred Caroline awake. Flitting open her eyes to meet Klaus’s blue ones had her retreating from him with gracelessness. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Watching the retreat with sad eyes, Klaus started, “Sweetheart,” and trailed off at the emotion shining bitterly in her eyes at the pet name. “You should stay. It’s late, you shouldn’t be out alone.” Unconsciously he reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A derisive laugh burned through what was left of Klaus’s heart. Caroline’s voice came out in a sneer, “Staying over tends to constitute a relationship. Something you made very clear we do not have.” Klaus sat up as she did, watching her bare back turn to him as she bent to snatch discarded clothes off the floor and dress herself. He found himself wishing it hadn’t been a mistake on her part to grab his green henley, longing for when she would slip it over her torso in the middle of a cold night and burrow right back into his chest with a contented sigh. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Caroline.” Her name was a warning on his lips. Klaus had no desire to be reminded of his actions regarding her.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her harshly bit out, “What?” stung him. “What, Klaus?” The mocking laugh was at odds with the pain apparent on her face, “What is it? You didn’t want me before, why would you now? I’m doing what you wanted, aren’t I? Being the good pet you wanted me to be, right? No sleepovers, no morning afters, no goodnight kisses.” His jaw clenched and her lips tilted up in response, enjoying the show of his barely contained anger. She silently dared him to yell at her, to give her a reason, any reason at all, to scream in his face. Because she </span>
  <em>
    <span>refused</span>
  </em>
  <span> to be the one to break first. “In fact, no touching at all, unless the intention is to fall into bed together, right?” Silver lined her eyes, and Caroline found herself cursing the fact that she was hurt, trying to pin the tears on the fact that she’s often an angry crier. “The message was loud and clear when you broke up with me, Klaus. I didn’t expect the last few months to change whatever sick thoughts you have in that head of yours. No need to pretend to give a fuck about my safety anymore.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus’s response came out in a growl. “I’m not pretending.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once again the cruel smile directed toward him cut deeply. Her voice was sickly sweet, “Could’ve fooled me.” Her weight left the bed and had him scrambling after her, hastily throwing on sweatpants. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Caroline,” his voice was pleading, something he had no recollection of sounding like before. It certainly wouldn’t surprise him. Caroline had that effect on him, bringing out parts of him he never knew existed, or parts of him he had thought long gone.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She kept storming away to the door, yanking on her boots with a swift pull. As she went to slip past the door, Klaus caught her wrist bringing it to his mouth, holding her hand to his cheek. He was ready to plead with her, beg her to stay, to listen to him, but all his plans fell from his mind when she spoke to him again. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The tone was not one Klaus was familiar with, frosty and filled with disdain. Klaus had never heard her use it, even when facing her most hated demons. Knowing he now may fall even further on the list than the monsters that haunted her past felt like a twist in the gut. The warmth her eyes carried was replaced with an icy wall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let go of me.” Her chest rose and fell with her deep breaths as he let her wrist fall. “Just because I started coming here, and just because I started sleeping with you again, is </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> an invitation to look me in the eyes and lie to me again. It is </span>
  <em>
    <span>not</span>
  </em>
  <span> an invitation to hurt me again. And I will stop coming over just as easily as you stopped loving me. And, yeah, that may not be much of a threat to you. Only god knows how much of it was faked. But I thought in case any of it was real, I’d give you a warning.” Her eyes raged.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus rocked back on his heels with a reluctant nod of understanding.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Good. In that case, I’m going home.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He fought the urge to chase after her, to beg for her to stay, or even for her to text him that she got home safely.  Fighting the urge to ask her to take him back was an even harder one. Klaus rarely showed anyone forgiveness, why would she extend him the courtesy he had denied so many others?</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>It was moments like this when Caroline wished she had listened to her friends. Once again Caroline found herself curled up on her couch with hollow cheeks, under eyes a faded purple. If someone were to ask her, she wouldn’t be able to pinpoint when exactly she had stopped being able to sleep alone at night. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Bonnie had been cautious regarding Caroline’s feelings toward Klaus, but supported whatever Caroline would decide to do. Katherine had thought Caroline had been joking; honestly Caroline didn’t think she’d ever seen Katherine look so rattled. Kat gave a short </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘it’s your funeral,’  </span>
  </em>
  <span>before refusing to broach the subject again. Elena had been more confused with Caroline’s feelings, than anything else. While Caroline understood that Elena could be oblivious, she wished the girl would at least try harder to keep up with her friends.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Her and Klaus had been together a whole year. </span>
  <em>
    <span>A whole year</span>
  </em>
  <span>. But they had never labeled it. Caroline knew Klaus was jittery when it came to emotions, but if she was being honest? She had come to believe Klaus loved her as much as she loved him. The shock that had rattled through her bones was no match to anything she had felt before when Klaus had laughed at her declaration. He had </span>
  <em>
    <span>laughed</span>
  </em>
  <span>, looked Caroline in the eye, and laughed when she told him she loved him. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It wasn’t as if they just had been having sex; she had known him long before they slept together, and it wasn’t as if it was super casual. Klaus had suggested she keep some things at his place for when she stayed. When she had tried to leave the first night they slept together, he pulled her back down to the bed and asked her to stay. He had made her breakfast. Klaus had heavily implied behind all his actions that he wanted Caroline to stick around, that she was not just a conquest or a stress reliever. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They had been a couple, whether or not he would acknowledge it. Laughing at her when she had finally built up the courage to say those words, words she had been so sure he would say back, cut deep. But not quite as deep as the words that followed the laughter, accompanied by a cruel smirk.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Resting her head in the nook between his neck and shoulder, sitting in his lap, arms holding his, Caroline decided to slip her feelings out.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Hey, Klaus?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Hmm, sweetheart?” </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Taking comfort in the way his fingers threaded through her hair she fiddled with his necklaces and spoke softly, letting herself be vulnerable, “I love you.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>She jerked upright at the delayed laughter, shock covering her face. At most she feared he wouldn’t say it back, or wouldn’t believe her. But this was not a laugh of disbelief.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“You aren’t my girlfriend, love. I certainly hope you haven’t gotten the idea in your head that I care for you beyond a mere fuck.” Klaus’s hand gently caressed her face, running a hand through her loose hair. His kind tone and gentle movements at odds with the cruel smirk he sported.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Caroline’s face dropped and froze. His arm had been thrown around her shoulder while they watched a goddamn Disney movie, and he had claimed she was nothing more than another girl he liked to sleep with? Klaus fucking Mikaelson, was sitting down and watching a Disney movie with singing and talking animals, and he wasn’t her boyfriend?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“This is a joke, right? You’re joking?” Her eyes narrowed and she maneuvered off of his lap, hands resting tentatively on his chest. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>With a raised brow, “Do I look like I’m joking? I never said what you were to me, I thought you smart enough to figure it out.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I—I didn’t think we needed a label. We haven’t been seeing other people, I practically live with you, we stay over at each other's houses, we eat meals together, I keep clothes and even tampons here for fuck’s sake. How am I </span>
  </em>
  <span>not</span>
  <em>
    <span> your girlfriend?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Apologies, love, for the miscommunication. I never said we were exclusive.” His face was bored. He was </span>
  </em>
  <span>bored. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Klaus was ripping out her heart and dismissing it without a glance. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Caroline forced back the urge to cry and gave into the anger instead, “We weren’t exclusive?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Afraid not, love,” the smile was mocking.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“I—” a sound of disbelief escaped her, “I’ll come by later for my things. I’ll leave my key.” Shoving Klaus away she sprung up and examined him before placing a few items back into her purse. He only watched her with a mild disinterest before walking off to his room.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Only about a month had passed since they broke up, when Caroline had given into temptation and arrived at Klaus’s door with the sole intention of sleeping with him. It alarmed her, how everything still felt so similar to how they started out. But this time Caroline didn’t stay when he asked. She hadn’t tried to kiss him goodbye, and more often than not she slipped out from the covers without waking Klaus (a true feat given what a light sleeper he was). She never stayed long enough to hold a conversation, despite the attempts he made. When she occasionally fell asleep alongside him was the most she’d give. And even then it rarely happened. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She had demanded he take off his shirt, used her tongue to distract his questions, as he had so often done to her. Klaus may have ruined the relationship, but he hadn’t ruined the sex. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Klaus was mumbling against her mouth, so she entangled their tongues further together, moaning at the taste of him. Caroline let her hands slip into the hair at the nape of his neck and pulled. Klaus growled in response. He ran his hands down the length of her spine before settling on her ass and hoisting her up. Knowing what he was going to do, Caroline jumped to help him, wrapping her legs tightly around him.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Bed. Now,” she rasped.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>With a smirk Klaus only mumbled in response, “So demanding.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Last time I checked you didn’t mind demanding. Has that changed?”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Not at all, love.”</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Now most of her friends looked at her with pity and an expression that screamed ‘</span>
  <em>
    <span>I told you so.’</span>
  </em>
  <span>  Enzo was the only one decent enough to actually </span>
  <em>
    <span>comfort </span>
  </em>
  <span>her. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Caroline was now eating straight from an ice cream tub, head resting on Enzo’s shoulder. All the girls had been temporarily banned. Complaints fell from her tongue in heaps, but few had actually bothered her. The few mainly being the end of the relationship. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Gorgeous, have you tried just talking to him about it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Snapping herself up she pointed her spoon in accusation, “Hey! I thought you were on my side.” Enzo only gave her a look in return, Caroline pouted, knowing she was just trying to find someone else to be upset with. Sobering up, she pulled her knees to her chest, setting aside the mostly empty ice cream tub. “Everything was </span>
  <em>
    <span>fine. </span>
  </em>
  <span>I said </span>
  <em>
    <span>‘I love you,’ </span>
  </em>
  <span>and everything goes to hell.” Tears welled. “One of the reasons I liked being with Klaus was that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted </span>
  </em>
  <span>me. All of me, I thought. He pursued me. Avidly. So after a year of seeing each other, suddenly we’re not a couple? We’re not exclusive? It doesn’t make sense. How can somebody who craves love and loyalty so much, not accept or return it when it’s given?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If it doesn’t make sense, which it doesn’t, that man looks at you like the sun, then talk to him. Maybe you’re missing part of the story.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I get that, Enzo. But I don’t </span>
  <em>
    <span>want </span>
  </em>
  <span>to. All of my past relationships I did all the work.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not saying you work for anything, I’m saying you go find closure. You said it yourself he keeps trying to talk to you when you see him. Let him explain. He’s still a dick and I hate him for hurting you, but he’s a dick who’s in love with you. Find out why he won’t admit it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Grumbling at his sound logic, “I’ll think about it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Now, that’s the spirit, gorgeous!” </span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>Klaus’s jaw fell when he opened his door to find Caroline. He hadn’t seen her in the sunlight for months, having refused to come over or acknowledge his existence while the sun shone. He had forgotten how her hair shines gold when the sun hits it just right.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Not bothering to hold her snark, she snapped, “Are you going to let me in, or just stand there like a dumbass?” Caroline had her arms crossed, as if it could help shield her heart. She wore dark red lipstick and all black attire, a t-shirt with a leather jacket thrown over it, high-waisted ripped skinny jeans, and combat boots. It was meant to act as an armor, dressing confidently, hiding her weaknesses.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>When Klaus still stood she snapped again, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>Well</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He stepped aside to allow her entrance as she shouldered past him. “Apologies, love. I was surprised.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Explain.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Caroline, it’s not that ea</span>
  <em>
    <span>—</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It is that easy, Klaus. I don’t wanna be here. I shouldn’t be here. I should’ve never come back after you treated me like that.” She spoke with her head held high, words clear and even. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know I should not have responded how I did.” Klaus tried to mirror how she held herself, but found himself unable, eyes drifting down to avoid contact.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No duh, dipshit. You’ve been trying to talk to me for two months. You can talk about what happened, or I can leave. And now I’m ready to hear whatever shitty excuse you’ve managed to come up with.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glancing up at Caroline, he failed to hide the guilt and grief. Resorting to old manners to delay, “Do you at least wish to sit down? In the living room?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, thank you. I’m perfectly fine here where I can storm out at a moment’s notice.” She watched  Klaus rub the back of his neck, head looking down before he began.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I suppose I should start with an ‘I’m sorry, love.’” She nodded her approval but otherwise didn’t comment. “I panicked.” At the roll of her eyes Klaus picked up the pace before she left him. “Caroline, I have never felt about anyone the way I feel about you. You have to know that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>With iron in her voice and stone in her eyes, “I thought I knew that. But you told me otherwise.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I lied.” His voice came out low and downtrodden. Caroline raised a brow at him, wanting to hear more. “I—I have never loved anyone as much as I love you, sweetheart. I’m infatuated with you, and I thought it was a passing fancy at first. But it wasn’t. You’re intelligent, beautiful, you’re full of light. You are everything I want, and everything I deny myself.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At some point Caroline had teared up so it came out choked, “I don’t understand. If you want me, and I want you, why did you say we weren’t together? Because I know we never said anything officially, but for </span>
  <em>
    <span>once</span>
  </em>
  <span> that didn’t bother me, because I knew you wanted me. And I knew that I wanted you. Not to mention how territorial you are.” Her lighthearted comment got crushed under the heavy emotion in the air. She stared at her feet, when she finished speaking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus had finally looked up when he heard her choke out her words, fighting the urge to comfort her, not knowing if it would help or hurt. He risked taking a step closer to her. “I don’t know how to love things, sweetheart. Not without ruining them.” Giving in he pulled her into a hug, cradling her head to his chest and running a soothing hand down her back. “And I just couldn’t do that to you, Caroline. Anybody but you.” As the shaking of her silent sobs receded Klaus allowed himself to kiss the top of her head.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He startled when Caroline shoved him away. Red eyes, with a blotchy face she yelled, “Are you kidding me?!” Klaus scrunched his face, not quite understanding. “I said ‘are you kidding me?’ You can’t ruin me, Klaus! You can upset me, and hurt me. Or piss me off. But ruin? No. And don’t fucking lie to me! I know you didn’t say that to protect me, because you </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew</span>
  </em>
  <span> how much I cared for you. You knew I was in love with you, and it was </span>
  <em>
    <span>petrifying </span>
  </em>
  <span>to see a future with me. You thought that </span>
  <em>
    <span>I</span>
  </em>
  <span> would get bored and leave you. Knowing I had every intention to stay, and knowing you </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted </span>
  </em>
  <span>me to stay, well I guess that was just too fucking much for you.” During the tangent Caroline stepped closer to poke Klaus in the chest.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Snatching her hand, Klaus pulled her closer to him with hesitant eyes. “Was?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She spoke with a quiet anger and a condescending tone. “Is that seriously all you got from that?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus tucked a stray piece of her hair behind her ear and rested his palm on the side of Caroline’s face. “No. It’s not. I did think I’d ruin the relationship sooner or later, so I opted for sooner against my better judgement. And I was scared of loving you back.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You didn’t have to say it back. I had </span>
  <em>
    <span>hoped</span>
  </em>
  <span> you would, but I would’ve understood. I would’ve taken that a lot better than what you did say.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I know. And I’m sorry for saying it. I didn’t mean it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Feels a bit late for that, doesn’t it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Klaus’s heart dropped. “And is it? Too late?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Caroline sighed, not sure of herself. “I don’t know, Klaus.” She turned from him and continued under her breath as she sped out the door, “I don’t know.”</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hey! If you liked the fic you should definitely comment or leave a review! Um if anyone is interested I could see myself writing a part two (and maybe a part three as well depending on how the second one would go). Also I definitely have not been working on this instead of my multi chapter fic, I would never do that. If the flashbacks seem a bit funky I've never written a story with one before so</p></blockquote></div></div>
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